Fire-protective shield.



n. WATSON.

FIRE PROTECTIVE SHIELD. APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 16, 1908.

900,243; Patented .0011. 6, 1903.

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1n: NORRIS PETERS ca., WASHINGTON, n. c.

DAVID S. WATSON, OF CANASTOTA, NEW YORK.

FIRE-PROTECTIVE SHIELD. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed March 16, 1908. Serial No. 421,470.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID S. WATSON, of Canastota, in the county ofMadison, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Fire Protective Shields, of which the following, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, andexactdescription.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fire protectiveshieldsfor belt openings of the class setforth in my pending application SerialNumber 350,7 99 filed J anuarys 1907 and is particularlyuseful inconnection with the beltopenings in floors to prevent the spread of thefire which may occur on one floor to the next'fioor above through thebelt openings in the floor.

The main object as descriloed in my application previously referred to,'isto associate with the belt and belt opening a fire proof shieldadapted to surround the opening and adjacent portion of the belt and tobe secured to the under-side of the. floor so as to project a suflicientdistance downwardly into the room to prevent passage of the fire orflame which may arise to the ceiling along said ceiling and through thebelt openings and still form a passage through which the belt mayoperate freely or without friction therewith.

Another object is to provide the shield with a movable closure which inthe absence of fire or under normal conditions is held in its openposition by one. or more fusible detents susceptible to being meltedunder a comparatively low temperature from the heat of the flame in caseof fire in proximity thereto. i

A further objectis to provide the shield with means for severing orcutting the belt when the movable closure is released by the fusing ofits detent.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts and combinations ofparts will be brought out in the following description;

In the drawingsFigure l is an elevation of my improved fire shield shownas operatively secured to the under side of the ceiling of a building,the ceiling and belt opening therethrough being shownin section. Fig. 2

is a sectional view of the same fire shield showing the closure as.released and closed by fusing of the detent,flthe belt being shown assevered by the cutting means actuated-by the shutting of the closure.Figs. "3 and 4 are sectional views "taken respectively on lines 33 and44, Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views respectively of thefixed and movable sections of the shield. Fig. 7 is a sectional view ofthe detached detent plates.

In order to demonstrate the practicability of my invention I have shownthe ceiling -l of a building as provided with a belt opening 2- for abelt 3, a portion of which is shownin Figs. 1 and 2.

Secured to the under side of the ceiling 1 with its upper endsurrounding the opening 2- is a fire shield 4-- of metal or other fireproof material, said shield extending downwardly some distance from theunder side of the ceiling and having a vertical belt openingtherethrough registering with the belt opening 2 in the floor andthrough which the belt is passed.

The interior form and dimensions of this shield conforms somewhat to thewidth of the belt being usually rectangular incross section and ofsufiicient interior dimensions to permit the belt to operatetherethrough freely or without friction.

One side of the shield as 5 is fitted within the main body of the shieldand provided with end pieces 6 which are pivoted at 7 to the ends of themain body near the lengthwise center and also near the top constitutinga movable closure having its lower end provided with a knife edge 8which coacts with a similar fixed knife edge 9 on the lower end of thefixed part of the shield for severing or cutting the belt by theshutting of the closure in case of fire.

; This closure is normally held in its open position by links l0 and afusible detent consisting of soft solder or'similar material which issusceptible to being melted under a comparatively low temperature.

One end of the link 10 is hooked or otherwise fastened to the under sideof the ceiling or adjacent portion of the shield i while its oppositeend is similarly connected to one end of a weighted lever l1 which ispivoted at its opposite end at 12 to the fixed part of the shield 4.

The freelower end of the closure 5 is pivotally connected to one end ofa link 13 having its opposite end pivoted to the intermediate portion ofthe lever l1 as best seen in Fig. 1, said link serving as a means fortransmitting motion from the lever -ll to the closure 5 during theopening and closing of the latter and also serves to hold the closure inits open position when the lever is held in its extreme up position bythe fusible detent.

As shown in the drawings the lever 11 preferably consists of a U-shapebar having its opposite arms embracing and pivoted at one end to thefixed body of the fire shield some distance below the ceiling or rathera short distance above the lower end of the shield, the cross arm ofsaid U-shape lever being free to play vertically at the opposite side ofthe shield to that upon which the lever is pivoted and this cross barpreferably bears a suitable weight -l4r for depressing the lever andclosure connected thereto with sufficient force to sever the belt 3between the knife edges -S and 9 when the movable parts are released bythe melting or fusing of the detent. This force or power of action ofthe lever closure -5- when released is augmented by the position of thelinks l3 relatively to the ends of the levers and to the lower end ofthe closure by reason of the fact that it is connected to said closure aconsiderable distance from the swinging axis of the closure and alsobelow the lever. The distance between the pivot l2 and pivotalconnection of the link -l3 with the lever is greater than the distancebetween the same pivot 12 and swinging axis of the closure. The pivotalconnection between said link and the closure is in a position at oneside of a plane drawn through the swinging axis of the closure andpivotal connection of said link with the lever nearest the pivot 12 soas to prevent a dead lock between the lever and closure and also toinsure shutting of the closure when the lever is released by fusing orbreaking of the detent.

The closure 5- as previously stated forms a portion of one side of thefire shield and is provided with a curved portion 16 concentric with theswinging axis or pivot 7 which curved portion travels in close proximityto an inwardly projecting flange -l8 on the adjacent side of the shieldto maintain a fire proof joint between the closure and main body of theshield when the closure is in either its open or closed position.

It is evident from the foregoing description that the belt travelsthrough the opening 2 and also through the shield and between said partsto clear the knife edges 8 and 9 when the closure is in its openposition as shown in Fig. 1 and in order that the belt may be kept fromcoming in contact with the knife edge 9 during normal conditions or whenthe belt is in action, I provide a roller bearing -19- runningtransversely of the belt in a horizontal position a short distance abovethe knife edge -9 and having its opposite ends supported in the ends ofthe fixed section of the fire shield and having its side adjacent thebelt projecting a slight distance beyond the plane of the knife edge 9so as to protect the belt against contact with and cutting by said knifeedge.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In combination with a floor and ceiling having a belt openingtherethrough, a lire shield consisting of a casing secured to theceiling around the opening to surround the adjacent portion of the beltand projecting downwardly some distance from the ceiling, said shieldhaving a portion of one side movable to and from the opposite side,means including a heat destructible detent for holding said movableportion open, said movable portion being released to close the lower endof the belt opening in the fire shield when the heat destruetible(letent is destroyed by heat.

2. in combination with a floor and ceiling having a belt openingtherethrough, a fire shield secured to the under side of the ceilingaround said belt opening to surround the adjacent portion of the beltand having a portion of one side hinged to the main body and movabletoward and from the opposite side to open and close the lower end of theshield, means including a heat destructible detent for holding themovable side of the shield open, said movable side being selfclosingwhen the heat destruetible detent is disintegrated.

3. A fire protective shield for belt openings comprising a fixed partand a movable part forming a casing through which the belt passes, meansto hold the movable part in its open position, said movable part beingself closing, the two parts having coaeting shearing edges to sever thebelt when the movable part closes.

4. In combination with a floor having a belt opening, a fixed partsecured to and extending downwardly from the floor and a selfclosingmovable part, said parts having e0 acting lower edges to engage oppositesides of the belt when the part is closed, and means including a heatdestruetible detent for holding the movable part in its open position.

5. A fire shield for belt openings in floors and ceilings comprising afixed part secured to the under side of the ceiling around the beltopening and adjacent portion of the belt, and a movable part coactingwith the fixed part to close the lower end of the belt opening in theshield, means including a heat destructible detent for holding themovable part in its open position, and means for forcibly closing themovable part when the detent is destroyed.

G. A fire shield for belt openings in floors and ceilings comprising afixed part secured to the under side of the ceiling around the beltopening and adjacent portion of the belt, and a movable part coastingwith the fixed part to close the lower end of'the belt opening in theshield, means including a heat destructible detent for holding themovable part in its open position, and means for forcibly closing themovable part when the detent is destroyed, said fixed and movable partsbeing provided with shearing blades operating to impinge againstopposite faces of the beltwhen the movable part is closed.

7 A fire shield for belt openings in fioors and ceilings comprising afixed partsecured to the under side of the ceiling around the beltopening and adjacent portion of the belt, and a movable part coactingwith the fixed part to close the lower end of the belt opening in theshield, means including a heat destructible detent for holding'the mov'-able part in its open position, means for forcibly closing the movablepart when the detent is destroyed, said fixed and movable parts beingprovided with shearing blades operating to impinge against oppositefaces of the belt when the movable part is closed, and a guardtransversely of the shield to prevent contact of the belt with theshearing edge of the fixed part when the movable part is in its openposition.

8. A fire shield for belt openings in floors and ceilings, said fireshield comprising a fixed part and a movable part between which the beltpasses, said fixed and movable parts having their lower edges adapted toimpinge against opposite faces of the belt when the movable part isclosed,'a lever pivoted to the fixed part and connected to the movablepart to control the opening and closing of said movable part, and meansincluding a heat destructible detent for holding the lever in positionto hold the movable part open, said lever and movable part operating bytheir own gravity to close the movable part when the detent isdestroyed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of February1908.

DAVID S. WATSON.

